CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellowship in Catalytic Aqueous Methanol Dehydrogenation - CSIRO - EducationCareer

First listed on: 16 April 2019

CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellowship in Catalytic Aqueous Methanol Dehydrogenation

The Opportunity

  • Do you have (or will shortly obtain) a PhD in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering?
  • Research methanol for the delivery of clean hydrogen where and when it's needed
  • Join CSIRO Energy for this exciting postdoctoral fellowship

Hydrogen will play a critical role in future energy systems. The ability to store and distribute hydrogen is crucially important so it can be dispatched where and when it is required. CSIRO is developing new ways to combine the control of carbon dioxide emissions with the production and use of methanol as a hydrogen carrier. This project will focus on the development of new catalysts for the dehydrogenation of aqueous methanol into hydrogen and carbon dioxide via homogeneous or heterogeneous catalysis. This will be integrated with the capture of carbon dioxide that is produced to provide both a pure stream of hydrogen and avoid the formation of unwanted by-products.

Your duties will include

  • Under the direction of senior research scientists, carry out innovative, impactful research of strategic importance to CSIRO that will, where possible, lead to novel and important scientific outcomes.
  • Gain a detailed understanding of the chemistry and catalyst/amine systems suitable for the dehydrogenation of methanol/water mixtures into carbon dioxide and hydrogen.
  • Optimise the selection of catalyst/amine system, equipment set up, and the conditions for methanol dehydrogenation.
  • Critically evaluate all results in terms of technically and economically practical systems for scale-up.
  • Undertake regular reviews of relevant literature and patents.

Location:       Newcastle, NSW
Tenure:          Specified term of 3 years 
Salary:           AU$83K – AU$94K + up to 15.4% superannuation
Reference:    61302

To be successful you will need

Under CSIRO policy only those who meet all selection criteria can be appointed.

  • A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as Chemistry or Chemical Engineering . 
    • Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3 years of relevant postdoctoral experience.
  • High level written and oral communication skills with the ability to represent the research team effectively internally and externally, including at national and international conferences.
  • Demonstrated ability to investigate, understand, and optimise chemical reaction mechanisms.
  • Experince in catalyst synthesis and characterisation.
  • Familiarity with techniques such as IR spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and chromatography to identify and characterise chemical species.
  • Experience with the development and characterisation of gas-liquid reactions.

For more information please view the Position Description.
We’re working hard to recruit diverse people and ensure all our people feel supported to do their best work and empowered to let their ideas flourish.

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. Talk to us about how this role could be flexible for you. Balance

About CSIRO

At CSIRO you can be part of helping to solve big, complex problems that make a real difference to our future. We spark off each other, learn from each other, trust each other and collaborate to achieve more than we could individually in a supportive, rewarding, inclusive and truly flexible environment. 

Apply Online

To apply online, please provide a CV and cover letter outlining your suitability and motivation for the role.

Applications Close

Wednesday, 15th May, 2019